Bremerton Patriot, May 09, 2014

May 09, 2014 edition of the Bremerton Patriot

Patriot
Bremerton
Honoring
Armed Forces
Armed Your May 17
Forces parade guide
Inside
66th annual
parade and events
“Our annual Armed Forces Parade is the longest
running and largest in the United States!”
BREMERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SATURDAY,
MAY 17, 10 AM
A SUPPLEMENT OF THE NORTH KITSAP HERALD, PORT ORCHARD INDEPENDENT, CENTRAL KITSAP REPORTER, BREMERTON PATRIOT AND BAINBRIDGE REVIEW
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014 | Vol. 17, No. 13 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
Fire chief says
levy is critical
BY KEVAN MOORE
KMOORE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
The Bremerton City
Council was set this week to
place a six-year emergency
medical services (EMS) levy
on the Aug. 5 ballot.
At 50 cents per $1,000
of assessed valuation, the
levy is not a new tax, but
a replacement or continuation of the current levy
which collects about $1.2
million annually.
“We’re not going to be
getting any more money
and if we do, it’s just a
slight amount of money
more than we get right
now,” said Bremerton Fire
Chief Al Duke. “This is
just a continuation. There’s
no increase to it. In talking to the county assessor,
VIVA LA BREMERTON
he thinks there might be a
one percent increase in the
assessed valuation. So, there
might be a slight increase in
what you pay.”
Duke said that the EMS
levy is critical.
“Most people don’t even
known that your medical,
or EMS services, are funded
through the levy until a levy
comes up,” Duke said. “I
think it’s an important levy.
It’s one of the most important services that the city
provides. Our fire service
provides that medical coverage in an emergency.”
In 2013, the city’s EMS
levy brought in $1,195,563
and ambulance fees brought
in $525,716 for a total of
$1,721,279.
Expenses,
SEE EMS LEVY, A9
Armin Jahr fire
was likely arson 9/11 Memorial is not ADA accessible
Kevan Moore/staff photo
Young members of the Flokloric Dancers performed this past Saturday as part of the Charleston Business Association’s Third
Annual Cinco de Mayo street fair. In addition to the girls’ dance performances, there was a series of wrestling matches, live
music performed by Alegres Del Norte and plenty of delicious food.
BY SERAINE PAGE
SPAGE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Bremerton
School
District Superintendent
Aaron Leavell says an
April 12 portable fire at
Armin Jahr Elementary
was the result of arson.
“The Bremerton Police
Department basically has
admitted it was arson,”
said Leavell to board
members during a May
1 meeting. “(The case)
really will just sit there
forever. The chances are
slim to find the ones who
started it.”
During the meeting, board members
approved the purchase
of a new portable to go
in the former spot of
the destroyed portable.
The portable was used
as a preschool classroom,
stated district officials.
According
to
a
Bremerton Police report
obtained by the Patriot,
Cencom received notification of a commercial
fire alarm from 800 Dibb
Street, the location of
Armin Jahr Elementary
School at 1:54 a.m. on
April 12.
At
1:55
a.m.,
B re m e r t o n
F i re
Department responded
to the fire, which was at
the northwest corner of
the school. Flames on the
exterior of the building
reached from the ground
to the roof, and “flames
were spread around on
the grass for about a
10-foot diameter from
the corner of the building,” states the report.
Around 4 a.m., one
of the firefighters noted
The City of Bremerton
recently put up a sign
at the Kitsap 9/11
Memorial at Evergreen
Park warning those in
wheelchairs, or those
who have other accessibility issues, to use caution when maneuvering
the twisting path leading
to steel beams from the
World Trade Center.
The sidewalk, designed
to invoke thoughts of
the flight path of the
planes that hurtled into
the Twin Towers, is
not in compliance with
the Americans With
Disabilities Act.
Bremerton
Parks
Director Wyn Birkenthal
said he installed the
SEE SCHOOL FIRE, A9
SEE 9/11 MEMORIAL, A9
BY KEVAN MOORE
KMOORE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Kevan Moore/Staff photo
The City of Bremerton recently installed a sign at the Kitsap 9/11 Memorial urging visitors
in wheelchairs to use caution on the non-ADA compliant path leading to the site.